


Sweater Weather

by serendipityxxi



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:56:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4710077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipityxxi/pseuds/serendipityxxi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Troubles Audrey picks up a new hobby: knitting. Naturally, the boys are thrilled. No, really. Thrilled...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweater Weather

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to cybermathwitch for beta-ing and all my crochet-ers and knitters for inspiring this! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: Disclaimed.

Winter in Haven that year begins with a bang, literally. The Troubles end explosively, but the important thing is Nathan, Duke and Audrey all come limping home. It snows that day and into the night and continues for three more days after that. People in the neighboring towns shake their heads and talk about global warming, but the residents of Haven, they know. They settle in to wait out the snow, some a little less magical, some just a little less, but most filled with relief that things are going to get back to normal and they can find the time to recover from their losses.

Nathan spends a lot of time shoveling paths that winter. It’s entirely possible he forgot how much he hates being cold and exactly how frigid winters in Maine can get. He mutters up a storm of curses and works hard trying to stay warm but underneath it all he’s a little bit excited by the discomfort.

Duke amuses himself by inventing drinks at the Gull and perfecting his chowder and chili recipes. He feeds a lot of post-Troubled people. Everyone is excited and in celebratory moods despite the plummeting temperatures. Duke has a good time on days when the Gull can open and has yoga and meditation to fall back on the days when it can’t.

Audrey is the most bothered by being snowed in. It’s quiet in a way that itches just below her skin. She’s never had so much free time before. So she putters and she goes into the station on days when even Nathan wouldn’t bother to go in. She fidgets, she reads mystery novels by the dozen, she starts and abandons project after project.

One dull gray afternoon Laverne gets so frustrated watching her that she teaches her to knit.They sit in Nathan’s office with their heads bent together and Audrey re-discovers that there’s magic in the everyday as the yarn seems to just wind itself into the pattern Laverne’s quick fingers have decided on.

Like with everything she does, Audrey is a quick learner at knitting. Maybe she’s not particularly good at it yet, but she’s enthusiastic. Within two weeks she’s worked up two scarves and half a hat.

It’s all downhill after that.

*****

Nathan is the first victim. He hates the cold, as she well knows, so clearly he needs all the warm woolen things she can make. He’s gifted that first scarf, a shapeless thing he’s told is a hat, and a truly hideous, knobbly green sweater. It itches. He tries manfully to hide this from her but eventually she finds out and she knits him a second sweater. It’s made from a different kind of yarn so at least it doesn’t itch (much) but it’s just as ugly as the first, with snowflakes? antlers? in white against the blue, because of course, it’s been a _whole_ week, she can do patterns now. Duke gets one next. His is grey with white and black yin yang symbols. And that’s only the start.

 If the Troubles weren’t over Nathan would swear she had a knitting Trouble she gets the things done so fast, his itchy neck and wrists assure him that’s not the case. And okay maybe he doesn’t mind itching, it reminds him that this is real, the Troubles are gone and Audrey is still here.

They are pretty ugly though.

At the station Dwight snickers at Nathan’s sweater and Stan can’t keep a straight face when Nathan wears the hat. At the Gull Duke’s customers are less polite in sharing their opinions. Vince and Dave offer to send Audrey some patterns that are less… challenging for a beginner. The boys turn them all down not wanting to discourage her, but secretly, they agree with them.

*****

Nathan walks out of the bathroom one morning wearing his antlered monstrosity. After surreptitiously checking that Audrey’s still in the bathroom Duke outright laughs at him.

“Lookin’ sharp, Nate!” he teases.

Nathan rolls his eyes and takes a seat at the table. He steals Duke’s cup of coffee and lets his pointed gaze tell Duke what he thinks of _his_ attire.

Duke shrugs. “I don’t see you telling Audrey you won’t wear them.”

Nathan takes a long swig of Duke’s coffee, then nails Duke with a slow smile. “Yeah, but you wear ugly old man sweaters anyway.”

 Duke huffs and pretends to be offended, kicking at Nathan’s boot under the table. Nathan kicks back a little harder. Duke’s about to reclaim his coffee cup when the bathroom door opens.

 Audrey emerges freshly scrubbed and pink cheeked from the steam and both men fall guiltily silent. When she notices that they’re both wearing Audrey Parker originals her face breaks into a smile that is as warm and soft as Duke’s sweater is supposed to feel. He almost wants to look around, just to be sure that smile is supposed to be for him. Instead he adds milk, no sugar to a new cup of coffee, just like she likes it (because he knows how she takes her coffee now). Their fingers linger when he hands over the cup.

Audrey and Nathan’s phones go off at the same time and Duke sighs. So much for breakfast. Coffee is transferred to to-go mugs and kisses are shared all around almost absently, both detectives already thinking about the case. Duke doesn’t mind much though, he likes the routine of it, the way it’s almost second nature now. When Nathan’s hand slips into his back pocket and gropes him during his turn, he minds even less. He slips Audrey some tongue to remind her there are more fun things than mysteries out there.

 ******

Audrey gets back to the office from the very normal crime scene (robbery down at the Quick Stop) before Nathan does.

She passes Laverne in the hallway who smiles at her. “Audrey sugar, you’re making great progress in the knitting already,” she compliments. “If you need some help with the blocking or figuring out the patterns let me know,” Laverne adds tactfully.

“Thanks, Laverne,” Audrey smiles. “But I’m actually holding myself back. I’ve been trying to see how ugly I can make their sweaters before Nathan and Duke won’t wear them anymore.”

Laverne laughs, a full belly laugh and Audrey grins wickedly.

******

The boys itch all the way to March and then the sweaters are banished. But the first cool day in September they both receive boxes that make them cringe. Inside the boxes are beautiful cable knit sweaters in blue and cream and a note that simply reads “Gotcha.”

 

 


End file.
